Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: enforcement of cohousing rules and community listserv guidelines/moderator

[Malcom Eva (malcolm]

The problem here is that cohousing is a neighbourhood, relying on mutual 
goodwill and effort.  What possible sanctions are there, apart from 
re-possessing a property if someone, for example, refuses to pay the communal 
dues (whatever term is used.)   

At Springhill (UK) we have a scheme called NOYO (Not On Your Own), by which 
anyone who is unhappy with an aspect of living here, or is unhappy with some 
unneighbourly behaviour or anything like that, can ask to speak to two named 
people off a list of listeners, about their perceived problem.  The listeners 
are just that - not therapists, or police, or mediators, just an ear.  They can 
help suggest possible ways forward - invoking our disputes process, a buddying 
session with both parties, taking it to the residents’ association, seeking 
counselling,  or any possible other development.  It is up to the person who is 
unhappy to take it forward, not the listeners.  Often, the act of telling the 
listeners helps the person to feel better about it - very often we don’t feel 
properly listened to by busy neighbours and friends.  NOYO provides a 
non-judgemental, sympathetic ear without charging therapists’ rates. 

If the issue is someone breaking the rules, we can approach them individually, 
we can ask the residents’ association to say something, we can try mediation, 
but there is no authority to force someone not to put out food for cats, or 
whatever other behaviour is causing trouble.  If there is a persistent and 
serious breach of the lease - which is a legal document, unlike our own 
in-house rules for living together - then yes, the freeholder can take steps to 
re-possess, but that is a nuclear option, and we have never seen anything like 
a situation where that would be even remotely considered.   As long as 
cohousers are there to be part of cohousing rather than just want real estate, 
there is usually a negotiable solution or compromise, but there are no 
sanctions we could impose which would stand in law.  

Malcolm


On 7 Nov 2015, at 02:53, Timothy Miller <gandalf [at] doctorTimothyMiller.com> 
wrote:

> 
> I started subscribing to this list because I’m interested in possibly living 
> in a co-housing community some day. I would look for a community that had 
> some reasonable rules intended to help the residents live comfortably and 
> harmoniously. If, after moving in, I found the rules were not enforced, I 
> would be very disappointed and angry. Rules against feeding feral cats, for 
> example, as a previous message on this thread mentioned.
> 
> TM
> 
> 
>> On Nov 6, 2015, at 6:03 PM, Martha Wagner <wordbizpdx [at] gmail.com> wrote:
>> 
>> 
>> Thank you for your post, Christine. I hope it draws some good responses. I 
>> would like to hear how other communities manage the  unapproved landscape 
>> “improvements” you refer to. I would also like to hear more about how your 
>> community and others establish listserv guidelines and find someone willing 
>> to take on an enforcement role for that.
>> 
>> Martha Wagner
>> Columbia Ecovillage
>> Portland, OR
> 
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